POPE COUNTY, Ark. — Every advocate at the River Valley Shelter for Battered Women and Children has lost their position as of this week, following a complete loss of federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding — a move that advocates warn will have deadly consequences for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault across Arkansas.

Eight staff members, including outreach advocates, shelter workers and a liaison embedded in a local police department, were laid off Friday in an effort to keep the shelter’s basic services running for as long as possible. By the end of this week, only two staff members will remain to run the 24/7 shelter, which serves hundreds of individuals and families each month.

"This isn’t just the loss of jobs — it’s the loss of lifelines," said Zoe Lee, an outreach

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